Lahore Qalandars became the first PSL team penalized for ball tampering after umpires awarded Karachi Kings 5 penalty runs in the final over of their match. The controversial decision helped KKR chase the target with 3 balls to spare.
Incident Details
With Kings needing 14 off the last 6 balls, umpires Faisal Afridi and Sharfuddoula inspected the ball after noticing handling by Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf. Ruling deliberate alteration, they replaced the ball and awarded penalties, reducing KKR’s target to 9 runs. Abbas Afridi then hit 4 and 6 to win.
Player Reactions
Captain Shaheen Afridi expressed frustration but deferred comment pending video review: “Five runs penalty hurts but I can’t say anything now.” Fakhar Zaman denied charges in a post-match hearing postponed to Monday.
Match Impact
KKR maintained their perfect record (2/2 wins), while Qalandars slipped to 1-1. The incident reignited tampering debates in Pakistan cricket, drawing comparisons to past controversies.
Follow-ups
What did Fakhar Zaman say in his ball tampering denial
Details on Shaheen Afridi’s role in the incident
Outcome of Fakhar Zaman’s ball tampering hearing
Similar ball tampering incidents in PSL history
Reactions from fans and experts to the penalty
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